"My heroic tale begins in Orario!"
The red-haired girl raised her right hand high, a radiant smile spreading across her face.
This was not her first time leaving her village, but it was the first time she had traveled this far.
The outside world was filled with countless novel wonders, each one radiating irresistible allure for a girl venturing out for the first time.
Gurgle—
A familiar sound suddenly rang out, and her foot, which had just stepped forward, froze midair.
"Aaah!"
"This is seriously bad after all!"
"To come to Orario only to go hungry right away—if word of this gets out, it'll definitely become a stain on my heroic tale!"
Clutching her head, the red-haired girl crouched in a corner by Orario's wall, frantically rummaging through her already-emptied backpack.
"Is this really all that's left?"
After relentless searching, she finally dug out a tiny handful of valis.
But that amount would only be enough for a single meal.
"I felt like coming here would bring good fortune, so why—"
"Why have I been running into nothing but bad luck?!"
The moment the thought surfaced, she stiffened, then quickly began shaking her head.
"No, no, no! The greater the misfortune, the greater the good luck that follows! That has to be it!"
Still crouched in the corner, she muttered to herself. This time, however, she drew little attention from passersby.
The citizens of Orario were long accustomed to such scenes. Every year, there were always a few reckless youths who traveled all the way from remote villages, hoping to carve out a name for themselves in the center of the world.
This time, it just happened to be a pretty girl. At most, the townsfolk spared her a few extra glances before sighing and walking away. A beautiful girl like her would surely catch the attention of some Familia the moment she arrived.
All they could do was silently pray she would be safe.
And besides, could those who came from remote regions truly make a name for themselves here?
The answer was yes.
But!
Their numbers were extremely small.
Even the children of Orario natives struggled to rise above the rest. With adventurer parents to support them, they still lived difficult lives. Some never even reached Level 2 in their entire lifetime, remaining no different from ordinary people.
So what chance did those without any background in Orario have?
Unless you were truly exceptional, it would be nearly impossible.
Remember—it was only "possible," not "guaranteed."
In Orario, danger did not come solely from the monsters within the Dungeon...
After the girl left, several figures slipped out from a nearby alley. They exchanged a few words among themselves before turning their gazes toward the direction she had gone.
An hour later, the red-haired girl stood at the entrance of a residence and bowed solemnly.
"Please allow me to join your Familia!"
"I will work twice as hard to grow stronger!"
Though she was a girl, her voice was brimming with heroic spirit, enough to leave a good first impression.
Yet her frail frame contradicted her own bold declaration.
Gurgle—
That unfortunate sound echoed again. An awkward expression appeared on her face, and even the deity who had been about to accept her now shook their head and closed the door.
"Damn it!"
"Someone as cute as me actually got mistaken for a freeloader?"
"Is there no justice in this world?"
After a brief bout of indignant complaining, she finally accepted reality.
"I need to find something to eat first. If I keep looking for a Familia while this hungry, I'll definitely just get mistaken for a freeloader again."
That was easy to say, but...
She glanced helplessly at her coin pouch. Only a few valis remained, and sometimes when she shook it, she could not even hear a sound.
"I'm broke!"
"These few coins probably aren't even enough to buy a bite to eat. What am I supposed to do now?!"
Her wail echoed through the empty street, but not a single door opened in response.
Tap! Tap!
Footsteps suddenly sounded from afar. The girl froze mid-lament and looked toward the source.
A long-haired Amazon stood there. Just like the girl, she had noticed the other's presence. Their eyes met.
"Um... are you having some kind of trouble?" the Amazon asked timidly.
"If something's wrong, would you like to tell me? Maybe I can help."
At the sight of the Amazon girl, the red-haired girl felt something strange stir within her...
Her heartbeat suddenly quickened. Could this be—
Is this what they call a fated encounter?
I'm unbelievably lucky!
Overcome with excitement, the red-haired girl leapt up and grabbed the Amazon's hand.
"My name is Alise Lovell! What about you? What's your name?"
"My name is Aita. Just Aita," the Amazon girl replied after a slight pause. "Alise, is this your first time in Orario?"
"Yeah, it is. How could you tell?"
"Because the way you were looking around was far too obvious. No one from Orario would act like that."
"I see! Thank you so much for telling me."
Gurgle—
The familiar sound resurfaced, and this time it happened right in front of her newly made friend. Even Alise felt her face burning red.
"There's a perfectly good reason for this!"
"Let me explain, Aita!"
"It's fine. It's just a meal. I'll treat you."
"You're the best friend I could ever have!"
Holding Alise's hand, Aita led her toward the most bustling district of Orario.
Alise had no idea what awaited her next.
...
Nom! Nom!
Seated at the table, Alise devoured the food before her in great mouthfuls.
If she counted carefully, it had been nearly half a month since she'd last eaten a proper meal. Until now, she had simply scraped by one meal at a time.
Most of her valis had been given away. The small amount she kept for herself had dwindled so much that even buying food had become a problem.
But at this moment, Alise's good fortune arrived!
She had run into an Amazon girl named Aita.
Alise could clearly sense that something behind her seemed to be urging her to go along with the girl.
Is this what they call intuition?
It seems that girls who smile are never unlucky!
Under Aita's enthusiastic invitation, the two arrived at one of Orario's most prosperous streets.
Here was the largest flow of people in the city. Men and women, young and old—nearly everyone passed through this place.
However, the most common race here was undoubtedly Amazons.
At a glance, the vast majority of women in sight were Amazons.
Alise had felt a bit nervous at first, but when she saw the table full of dishes, that nervousness vanished completely.
With food in front of her, everything was negotiable.
Her rumbling stomach urged her to start eating at once, or it would make her pay dearly.
And so, Alise and Aita took a private room.
As they chatted, Alise gradually relaxed and began devouring the food at top speed.
Seeing this, Aita's gaze flickered slightly as she spoke.
"Alise, you've eaten quite a bit already. Would you like something to drink?"
"There's a beverage here that's very delicious—a local specialty. Would you like to try it?"
Aita's voice sounded from beside her, causing Alise to pause mid-bite.
"If it's your recommendation, Aita, then I'll give it a try!"
Soon, two glasses of something resembling orange juice were placed on the table. They looked no different from ordinary fruit juice, and the aroma was irresistibly enticing.
"This is our local specialty. Go ahead and taste it. I guarantee it'll surprise you!"
Aita picked up her glass, preparing to clink it with Alise's.
But...
Perhaps Alise had been too eager?
She accidentally knocked over the water pitcher on the table. Water flowed across the surface and spilled down, soaking both her own clothes and Aita's.
"Ah! I'm so sorry! I was too hasty!"
Startled by her own mistake, Alise hurried to apologize and reached for a towel to wipe up the mess, only to be stopped by Aita.
"It's fine. You were just eating too quickly, Alise."
The Amazon girl set down her glass and gently picked up a towel from the side, wiping the spilled water before Alise could do so.
In the instant Aita turned around, Alise's eyes sharpened. With astonishing speed, she swapped the positions of their glasses.
After finishing, she immediately returned to her previous carefree expression.
"Haha, it can't be helped! The food here is just too delicious. I got carried away!"
"Now that no one's interrupting us, Alise!"
Having finished cleaning, Aita set the towel aside and picked up the glass on the table once more.
Not to be outdone, Alise raised her own glass and clinked it against Aita's.
"We'll continue being good sisters from now on, Alise!"
A triumphant smile spread across Aita's face.
At the same time, she silently added in her heart...
That should complete my mission!
Lady Ishtar will surely praise me!
To avoid arousing suspicion, Aita also had to drink the beverage alongside Alise. It did not matter—she had already added an antidote to her own glass earlier. It would not affect her.
"Mm! Of course we'll be good sisters!"
After clinking their glasses, the two of them downed their drinks almost simultaneously.
"It tastes wonderful. Thank you for preparing this meal for me, Aita!"
Alise's grateful voice came from the side, but Aita no longer had the mind to listen.
Her head felt dizzy...
Aita shook her head, trying to dispel the growing drowsiness, but to no avail.
I definitely added the antidote...
Why...?
In the final moment before losing consciousness, Aita looked toward Alise.
"I noticed your little trick, Aita. So how could I possibly drink that glass?"
Alise's calm voice drifted over.
"That whole 'good sisters' act was a lie, wasn't it?"
"I may be innocent, kind, and adorable, but that doesn't mean I'm an idiot."
"Something like a pie falling from the sky? No matter how you think about it, that's impossible."
"Still... thanks for the meal."
"Goodbye, Aita."
As Alise finished speaking, Aita collapsed onto the table, completely unconscious.
"Sigh! My first meal in Orario, and I ended up solving it like this..." Alise waved her hand helplessly. "If word got back to the village, everyone would probably think it was a made-up story."
"Because it's just too absurd!"
On her very first day in Orario, she had been targeted by someone with ill intentions—yet in the end, she had somehow managed to secure a meal instead.
"Mm! I really do need to be more careful. Otherwise, I might not even be able to protect my own body."
She knew perfectly well where in Orario this was.
The Pleasure Quarter!
A place of indulgence and excess. If she lingered too long, who knew what kind of trouble might arise.
"Things in Orario haven't exactly been peaceful lately."
After a brief sigh, Alise packed up her belongings, preparing to leave.
Judging the time, if she had truly drunk that beverage earlier, someone would likely have come to check on the room by now.
If Aita did not go out for too long, those watching outside would surely grow suspicious.
"Sigh... I'd better run."
After organizing her backpack, Alise also packed away some portable food as rations for the coming days.
Finally, she stood by the window and surveyed the surroundings of the building.
"Mm, no one's noticed anything. Perfect time to retreat!"
Leaping onto the balcony, Alise departed without the slightest trace of reluctance.
At the restaurant's front desk—
"Why hasn't Aita come back yet?"
The Amazon in charge of maintaining contact had waited far too long without seeing Aita emerge from the private room, and suspicion began to creep in.
"Could something have happened to her?"
"But there hasn't been any movement from inside the room at all..."
How could an ordinary person who had just arrived in Orario possibly be a match for Aita, a Level 1 adventurer?
But the truth was, Aita really never came out to contact them.
"Forget it. I'd better go check. If something happened, I can still handle it," the Amazon thought.
Two minutes later.
She stood at the doorway of the private room in stunned silence, staring at the scene inside.
"The one lying there isn't the redhead... it's Aita!"
"I have to report this immediately. We absolutely can't let such prime prey escape!"
...
On the main street of the Pleasure Quarter, a girl with her head wrapped in white cloth cautiously scanned her surroundings.
"Good. No one noticed me."
This was Alise, who had just escaped from that danger-filled tavern.
To keep others from noticing anything unusual, she had deliberately picked up something that looked like a tablecloth and wrapped it around herself.
Alise knew very well that the most distinctive trait of a beautiful girl like herself was her vivid red hair. As long as she covered its color, people would not be able to tell who she was from a distance.
"Heh heh. As expected of me. A clever beauty like this probably doesn't exist anywhere else in the world, right?"
"At this rate, I'll be out of the Pleasure Quarter soon enough."
But reality was completely different from what Alise imagined. She really was about to leave the Pleasure Quarter's sphere of influence, yet she encountered the very sight she least wanted to see.
Groups of Amazons had blocked the road and were inspecting every passerby. Anyone they took interest in would be stopped and thoroughly searched.
Judging from their posture, it seemed they did not intend to let even a mouse slip through.
"Not long ago, prey favored by one of the gods escaped. Supposedly it was a blonde woman."
"Stay sharp, everyone! Lady Ishtar has given a direct order. We absolutely cannot let another bug crawl out of the Pleasure Quarter!"
The leading Amazon appeared to be giving instructions to her subordinates. After hearing that, Alise felt a chill run through her heart. And also...
"Who exactly is that blonde woman?"
Anyone who could escape from here was definitely no ordinary person.
If she got the chance, Alise absolutely wanted to talk with her.
But after seeing the scale of the Amazon patrols with her own eyes, Alise began to regret things a little.
Wasn't this way too excessive?
"I never should've gotten greedy over that meal!"
Now she had eaten her fill, but had also fallen into enormous danger.
If she got caught, Alise could already imagine what kind of future awaited her...
The red-haired girl lay blank-eyed on a large bed wearing only a towel, while a smoking man sat beside the bed.
"How boring. You're only worth this much valis!"
The man lightly shook a money pouch, but only a sparse clinking of coins came from inside.
The red-haired girl trembled as she reached for the pouch in his hand, but what she touched was not the hard feeling of coins. It was something shaped like a long loaf of bread.
"Want valis? Then you'll have to work harder!"
"I'm still not satisfied yet!"
A dark shadow hovered over the red-haired girl's face. Looking carefully, it was even swaying back and forth.
"I understand. Please allow this humble girl to continue serving you!"
The red-haired girl opened her mouth...
"Aaaah! Not that!"
Alise violently shook the image out of her head. If something like that really happened, she would rather find a wall and smash herself into it.
The people of this Pleasure Quarter were simply unforgivable!
Once she became stronger, she would definitely find a chance to clean out all the filth here.
Otherwise, the citizens of Orario would surely continue to suffer terribly.
Alise watched as many men followed Amazons into rooms, only to emerge shortly afterward dazed and panting heavily.
"They must have suffered inhuman treatment in there!"
"I absolutely won't allow this to continue!"
Silently, Alise made that vow in her heart.
"Citizens of Orario, your health shall be saved by me!"
Just then, a woman's voice reached her ears.
"You there, woman!"
"The one with the white headscarf. Turn around and let me see your face."
In an instant, Alise froze from fear.
These people were all adventurers!
How was a delicate girl like her supposed to fight powerful adventurers?
She probably could not even run away.
Adventurers were far faster than ordinary people.
What should she do?
For a moment, Alise's mind spun rapidly as she searched for some way out of this desperate situation. Unfortunately, in the face of overwhelming strength, all schemes were meaningless.
Alise had practically resigned herself to being captured.
"All right, you're fine. You can leave."
"Eh?"
Alise suddenly turned around and saw a woman dressed similarly to her walking out of the Pleasure Quarter.
She had apparently already been inspected.
Her chance had come!
Without hesitation, Alise tightly followed behind the woman, making others think they were together.
At last, when Alise's final foot stepped beyond the Pleasure Quarter's boundary, she was so moved she nearly cried.
"Just as expected, girls who love to smile are never unlucky!"
I should run now!
Just as Alise prepared to leave, an odd sensation suddenly came over her.
It felt as if someone had grabbed her headscarf.
"Hey! You still haven't been inspected!"
An Amazon's voice came from behind, making Alise's nerves tense once more.
"What are you talking about? I was just inspected."
"I'd like to inspect you again. Is that inconvenient for you?"
"And this time, I'll inspect you thoroughly—from top to bottom, inside and out."
The young Amazon slowly looked over Alise's body from head to toe, greed shining in her eyes just like the men from before.
No way...
Alise was dumbfounded.
Wasn't she a woman?
Then why was she making the exact same lecherous expression only a pervert would have?
In an instant, Alise crossed her arms over her chest and stepped back, causing the Amazon girl's eyes to shine even brighter.
"Oooh! Now this is something special!"
As Amazons who had spent their lives in the Pleasure Quarter, they naturally possessed keen eyes for judging people.
That meant reading people through tiny gestures and movements to judge their temperament.
And the action Alise had just made was exquisite.
It was the kind of gesture almost never seen in the Pleasure Quarter...
The sort only a pure maiden would make.
"Well? Want to spend a night with me?"
"Don't worry. I've got plenty of valis!"
"N-No, actually, I... I just finished entertaining someone. I'm already exhausted and don't have the strength for that anymore..."
At that moment, Alise resorted to disguise.
She pretended to be one of the workers of the Pleasure Quarter, hoping to muddle her way through.
Unfortunately, Amazons were not easy to fool.
Because deceiving people was what they did every day.
"You're lying, little lamb."
"No matter what, you're spending tonight with me!"
"Nooo!"
Alise's hand had already slipped into her backpack. If things truly turned bad, she could react instantly and escape.
"Stop! What are you doing?"
An Amazon who looked middle-aged strode over and sternly put an end to it. She seemed to be the younger girl's superior.
"Today is patrol duty. Are you planning to slack off?"
"N-No! Of course not!" Seeing her superior arrive, the young Amazon immediately became nervous, stumbling over her words.
"I was just... inspecting her!"
"That's right! I was inspecting this person!"
"Hah." The older Amazon's face was full of contempt. Everyone in the Familia knew exactly what sort of girl she was.
"Then are you done inspecting her yet?"
"Not yet..."
"Then hurry up!" she shouted.
"Y-Yes, yes! I'll inspect her right away!"
During the next few seconds, the lily-loving young Amazon merely gave Alise's face a quick glance before letting her go.
"If you dare slack off during work again, you'll receive proper punishment."
"Yes... I won't do it again."
As for Alise, it had truly been a close call.
"Whew! That scared me to death!"
"As expected, today really is my lucky day!"
"I even managed to dodge a crisis like that!"
But before Alise had taken ten steps, a noisy rush of footsteps came from behind.
A leading Amazon arrived carrying a sheet of paper and asked, "We just received word that a red-haired woman escaped. Have you seen her?"
On the parchment was a portrait of Alise.
The older Amazon only glanced at it and casually said she had not seen anyone.
But the lily-loving Amazon showed a shocked expression and slowly turned her head toward Alise.
That single reaction caused everyone present to look in the same direction.
Right where Alise stood.
Not good!
I've been found!
Alise did not hesitate. She immediately ran at full speed.
"It's her! The one on the paper is her! She already got out!"
With the girl's shout, countless Amazons spotted the fleeing Alise.
"Chase her!"
"This prey is top-grade. We absolutely can't let her escape!"
In an instant, a large number of Amazon warriors charged after Alise.
At a glance, there were around fifty of them.
"Bad luck! Bad luck! Bad luck!"
Faced with the oncoming Amazon army, there was no way Alise dared slow down.
If she were caught, her fate would definitely be terrible.
"You up ahead, stop right there! Otherwise, once we catch you, you'll regret it!" the Amazons behind shouted.
But Alise only ran faster.
"What a joke! No one can stop my advancing footsteps!"
Was that really the kind of thing to say at a time like this?
Alise was indeed fast, but no matter how fast she was, she was still an ordinary person. She had never received a god's blessing. How could she possibly outrun Amazons who were generally Level 1 or Level 2?
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they caught her.
And then they'd definitely turn her into a sow!
"I don't want my life to end like this!!!"
Several minutes later.
Huff... huff...
Alise was gasping for breath. She was truly reaching her limit, while the pursuers behind her were drawing closer and closer.
"This is bad! If this keeps up, I'm really done for..."
A resolute look appeared on Alise's face.
There was still a small knife for self-defense inside her backpack. If she were truly violated...
Then she would make those people pay no matter what.
As she ran, a huge crossroads appeared ahead.
"I'll go right. The roads ahead look complicated. Maybe I can lose them."
Even as she said it, Alise herself barely believed it, but her body still forced itself onward.
Right turn... right turn...
As her vision swung right, Alise finally slipped out of the Amazons' line of sight for the moment, but...
"Oof!"
Alise crashed directly into someone.
Judging from the voice, it seemed to be an elderly woman.
Even with pursuers behind her, Alise still decided to check on the woman first.
If someone old and frail were hit at such speed, they would surely be knocked to the ground.
But the scene before her left Alise stunned.
An invisible barrier seemed to stand in front of the old woman, completely negating the impact.
"Ma'am, are you all right?" Alise asked with concern.
"I'm fine, I'm fine! My granddaughter gave me this for self-defense, so I wasn't hurt at all."
"More importantly, child, why are you running so fast through the streets?"
"You're lucky you hit an old lady like me. If it had been someone else, you might've sent them flying."
Everything the old woman said was reasonable, but Alise had little time left. Her pursuers would arrive any moment.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. This was my fault." Alise bowed deeply. "But people from the Pleasure Quarter are chasing me, so I really can't stay here."
"The Pleasure Quarter?"
The old woman looked behind her, where a large group of Amazons was rushing over.
She instantly understood what was happening and quickly said to Alise, "Little girl, hurry and run."
"I'll hold these people back myself!"
"Ma'am, you..." Alise wanted to say more, but was immediately cut off.
"Run! I have means to protect myself, so I'll be fine. But if they catch you, you're finished!"
"Y-Yes! I'm going!"
Alise no longer hesitated. Her aching legs forced themselves into motion once more.
"Thank you, ma'am!"
BOOM—
A tremendous roar erupted behind her. Alise did not know what it was, but it had to be something the old woman used.
Under that terrifying shockwave, those Amazons probably could not keep chasing her now.
"Don't think you're getting away!"
Eh? There are still more?
Those Amazons truly could not break through the old woman's defense. Most of them had been knocked down by the blast.
But a few in the rear were unharmed.
They did not need to break through the old woman's defense.
They only needed to go around her.
Watching the three Amazons closing in on her, Alise let out a cry from the depths of her soul.
"Will this never end?!"
"Why is something like this happening to me?!"